Columnist Chandar Pattabhiram explains the new Engagement Economy -- a world where everyone and everything is connected, fundamentally shifting the relationships between buyers and sellers.

Last week, Marketo’s Chief Executive Officer (and my boss), Steve Lucas, introduced a bold new concept: the Engagement Economy. This is a world where everyone and everything is connected, fundamentally shifting the relationships between buyers and sellers. It is a product of the ongoing digital transformation that businesses feel so acutely, but it has wide-ranging repercussions that affect everyone — customers, prospects, employees, partners and so on. It is a digital future that we are already living in, and companies that do not adapt risk being left behind.

The question, of course, is how do brands adapt? The answer lies in finding a way to offer consumers the authentic, personalized experiences that they crave, a task that largely falls to you, the marketer.

But in order for marketers to lead their companies to success within the Engagement Economy, they need to go back to the future. Here’s how.

About The Author

As CMO, Chandar is in charge of positioning Marketo as the marketing industry’s innovation leader and best solution for high-growth and enterprise businesses. Previously as a group vice president of marketing, Chandar built Marketo’s product, solution, and corporate marketing teams. A seasoned enterprise executive, he was previously with Badgeville where he oversaw the company’s worldwide marketing efforts including product and corporate marketing and demand generation. Prior to that he served as vice president of product and channel marketing for IBM Cast Iron. Chandar also spent time at Andersen Consulting as an advisor to Fortune 500 companies in the high-tech, retail, and oil and gas industries. He holds a bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering from PSG College of Technology in India and a master of science in management from the University of Texas.